Fancy Nights and New Friends

Sometimes it is interesting to break routine. Break up the weekday plans and throw in a ball one night. You know, just for fun. That is exactly what happened last week on Thursday night. Junior League hosted their annual ball and Thursday night is known as Girls Night. Since I am a new transplant to the city, I wasn't planning to attend but my new co-worker bestie J, who also belongs, invited me to attend with her friends.

Thursday came and I worked all day. Given that it was Thursday, I still had one more day left to work. But Thursday evening I had a ball to attend. Nothing will break up your week like trying to mentally process the change in dynamics from working world to social party world and back again.

It was a night of laughs, a night of champagne and a night of dancing. It was an all around fun night. One of those nights where you begin to think, okay maybe I am sorta settling into my new city. I have learned to embrace those moments because soon I will be driving around, confused, overwhelmed and lost again in my new city.

The evening was sprinkled with little nuggets of wisdom and laughter that are still making me laugh. I think they are still making me laugh because they took little things I was honestly worried about and now I feel silly for even thinking about them. A reminder that life is not as serious as we often think it is…or not as serious as I think it is, I should say:

On hanging out with new people:

• I met J's friends and told them how much I appreciated them letting me tag along…how I didn't want to be the "awkward co-worker" who came with J. One of them kindly said "You are only the awkward co-worker if you are in fact awkward. So far you appear very normal." Truth. Sorta :)

On the attire:

• You know how when you go to an event you are always just a little worried about wearing the appropriate thing to fit in….with the phrase "cocktail attire" it could go a lot of different ways. As we stood around during the champagne filled cocktail hour people watching, we began to see some very elaborate outfits for the "cocktail attire" evening. The kind of outfits where you cannot help but stare. You try hard not to but end up staring anyways. One of the girls said "I just love when people overdress." And I said YES. Took the words I have always thought right out of my mind. 

On the entertainment:

• I had been hearing for months about this show that was going to happen. This show people auditioned for, tried out for, practiced routines for, learned songs for…and I could legitimately not wrap my head around it. I mean I danced my whole life and I love a show. Should I be in the show? But I am 29 years old. I don't understand the show. 
• The show is a cross between the dance recitals of my past/ end of "summer vacation performances" channeling the final show in Dirty Dancing sans Patrick Swayze/ Six Flags performances/ and then just a good ol' fashion show.  
• The verdict? I won't ever be auditioning. However I now understand why all the girls were insisting we get extra glasses of champagne for the performance. I sang along. I danced in my chair to the tunes. Cheers to the girls who performed- you rocked and are far braver than I am. 

On the food:

• Lesson learned: when you take a break from your normal weekday evening routine to attend a ball, you need to eat a snack before. Otherwise you will inhale your plate of food PLUS two rolls. 
• It would have been helpful in Cinderella if there had been a dinner scene. I imagine many girls my age would know better now about having a snack prior to "the ball."

On the fun:

• Between the dressy evening, the champagne, the new friends I made, the music, the dancing…I had SO much fun!  

On being thankful for friends in a new place:

• When you are new to a city and a new organization, it can be hard to feel a part of everything. Thursday night I felt a part of it. That is all thanks to my co-worker J who is more than a co-worker but a good friend. After being in the working world many, many years, I have to say good friends at work are hard to find. I am thankful to have one placed in my life. Thank you J for inviting me along because thanks to you, I am still smiling about the Thursday evening several nights later.  

Thanks J, Looking forward to many more fancy days and fancy nights!